Quandie

in the workshop.

Published on April 19, 2014 by Quandie20 Comments

The snow is gone. The days are getting longer and little bit warmer. And I have finally made it out to my Carriage House workshop to get things organized. I was just telling my friend Sue that I have 13 pieces of furniture waiting to be refurbished. Yikes! I may be turning into a hoarder.

I have good reasons why all of these pieces have been waiting for spring, but I won’t bore you with all the details. Now that spring is here, I have taken inventory and consulted with Ken about repairs and I have a plan of action.

Here are just some of the pieces in the line up.

Mr. Q found this desk on the curbside in our neighborhood and he snatched it up. See, he is becoming properly trained in the art of junking! Someone has already gone to the trouble of stripping the top of the desk, but I suspect they decided it was far too much trouble and they gave up after that. It needs a little repair under the middle drawer and it needs all new hardware, but I think this will be a darling little desk. Plus, I have set a goal of improving my ability to work with stain, and this guy will be a perfect jumping off point since his top is already stripped. I plan to paint the bottom and stain the top.

What I love most about this dresser are its curvy front legs. I think this one will be a charmer once it’s painted. This one is next up on the to-do list. I just need to decide on a color.

This vanity is part of a bedroom set that Mr. Q and I picked up on a Friday date night. Isn’t it pretty? I debated briefly about removing the mirror and just calling it a desk, but in the end I think I’ll paint the mirror and leave that option up to the buyer. Keep the mirror and have a vanity, or chuck the mirror and have a desk. The seller also included a little vanity seat, but it’s obviously not original to the set. Not sure if I will keep these paired up or not. What do you think?

Here is the gentlemen’s dresser that came with this set.

Isn’t he unique? This will be a fun one to paint. I’m going to have Ken replace the back on it first because it’s in pretty rough shape, but otherwise this one is in quite good condition.

The bed is by far in the worst condition. A leg broke off the headboard on the way home. The veneer on the footboard has definitely seen better days. Ken is confident that he can repair the leg, and I am confident that a coat of paint will bring this one back to its former glory. I love these curved footboards.

Next we have this sweet little drop leaf desk.

Some friends of mine dropped this one off for me one day. They had planned to refurbish this themselves, but never got it done, and thought of me. I love friends like this! And isn’t it a sweet little desk? Ken will put new hinges on to reattach the drop leaf and I will add paint. I have a plan for this one forming in my mind. It includes one of my new French stencils.

Finally, we have this sideboard. nnK, my craigslist spotter, has the whole family involved. She sent her dad off to fetch this one from the wilds of Wisconsin. Her folks live in a beautiful lake home about an hour from here and this sideboard wasn’t too far from them.

nnK also came up with an idea for this one. Replace the two center drawers with shelves instead, cut a hole in the back for cords, and market this as a TV stand.

I’m having trouble making this decision. The conservative side of me is afraid to mess with a perfectly good sideboard. But on the other hand, I can definitely see the plus side of turning it into a TV stand. It’s the perfect size to balance out a large wide screen TV. The center section is the perfect size to hold a couple of components. I think there are more buyers out there looking for a great piece to hold their widescreen TV than those looking for a great place to hold their silver and china.

I plan to give this one an updated color and more modern hardware, giving it an updated look.

So … weigh in. TV stand or sideboard? What do you think?

q is for …

Published on April 18, 2014April 15, 2014 by Quandie4 Comments

I saw this a while back on pinterest.

q is for …

Why yes! I like it. Sounds about right to me.

If you don’t know where the name of my blog came from, you have to go all the way back to my first post to find out!

And ever since I chose the name, I have embraced the Q.

So when I saw this bracelet consisting of all Q’s at Farmhouse Inspired in Hudson, Wisconsin, I knew it was meant to be mine. It even has a little coffee cup charm on it, could it be more perfect for me?

Unfortunately the very first time I wore it, I lost a Q. I kept wearing it anyway. I figured it was only a matter of time before I found another typewriter Q to replace the lost one.

I thought for sure I would find one at Junk Bonanza, but I actually found something even better! I found the woman who made it, Lisa from Old Anew. She wasn’t selling, she was shopping. But I showed her my missing Q and she immediately volunteered to take the bracelet back and fix it. I told her I could fix it myself if I only had a Q and that I was going to look for one, but she said no problem, she would just pop one in the mail for me!

And furthermore, she did just that! How fab.

So now I have my Q, and I just need to get out my E6000 and glue it on.

Thanks Lisa!

spring.

Published on April 16, 2014April 16, 2014 by Quandie10 Comments

I am very patiently waiting for spring. It starts ever so slowly here in Minnesota. I see signs of it though. It starts with some crocuses and scilla.

But while I wait for it, I thought I would put together a little miniature garden to enjoy for now.

I bought this ironstone tureen at Junk Bonanza. I just loved how crackled it was. It didn’t have its lid any longer, and I just thought it would be fun to use as a little planter.

It has a great mark on the bottom. Apparently this is a “classic shape”.

Anyway, I popped in to my local Bachman’s store and came away with some miniature plants and a bag of pebbles.

I put some pebbles at the bottom of my tureen, since there won’t be any proper drainage with this planter.

Then I just tucked in my little plants and added some tiny little white pots that I found at a garage sale last summer. I had added my house numbers to them and they usually reside in my fairy garden outside.

Ta da! A sweet little garden.

For now I am going to put him in the window at the bottom of the stairs. Hopefully I will remember to keep him watered. Maybe I’ll reconsider and bring him to the office to remind me of gardening while I am crunching numbers at the day job.

junk bonanza recap.

Published on April 13, 2014May 7, 2014 by Quandie5 Comments

Junk Bonanza was a whirlwind 4 day marathon. Day one was driving to Shakopee, unloading the truck and setting up our booth. I was already exhausted. The next 3 days we had a constant flow of people. I’m pretty sure we never even sat down on the first day. The next two weren’t quite as crazy, but still very few breaks in the crowd. I am completely and utterly worn out. My hat goes off to those who do this sort of thing all the time.

One of the coolest things about being a vendor at Junk Bonanza was walking in each morning before the shoppers were allowed in. All was quiet. It was just me, surrounded by the most incredible collection of vintage junk on the planet. It was a lot like being allowed into Disneyland early! I should have thought to take more pictures at that moment, but I didn’t. Drat.

First off though, are you wondering what I brought home from Junk Bonanza? Well … not much. I didn’t have much time to shop at all. Here is my sweet little haul.

Yep, that’s it!

Yes, I did buy another can of the Annie Sloan chalk paint. Can you believe this stuff is going for $42 a quart! But I really wanted to try this particular color, Duck Egg. In hindsight, I wish I had splurged on a couple more. I’d also like to try her Old White to see how well it covers, and the French Linen looks really nice too. But spending $126 on 3 quarts of paint? Not sure I could do it.

The Annie Sloan rep was Heidi from Broken Broom and she purchased my black writing desk (painted in Miss Mustard Seed milk paint, but shhhh, don’t tell anyone)!

I love my Union Jack necklace. That came from Lisa Souers Designs. And the black toy phone came from my own booth! Lori brought it, and I bought it before we even opened. Lori picked up the little baby aqua phone for me at another booth, wasn’t that nice of her! Thanks Lori! And I grabbed the aqua flower frogs on my way in the very first morning. I’d been eyeing them and realized I should just nab them before they sold to someone else. After all, they are in ‘my color’.

The rolls of vintage wallpaper underneath everything are from Rose Mille. Their booth was across the way from ours, and the owner Michelle was a really lovely person. Her booth was gorgeous. I wish I had some good pictures of it, but I just didn’t have time for photography. These just don’t do justice to her beautiful booth at all.

I’m hoping to use the wallpaper on the drawer fronts of a dresser. I’ve seen it done online and if done right, it can be gorgeous. I hope I can pull it off. I purchased 4 small rolls and I hope I can find just the right piece to put them on.

As for the stuff I was selling, I did fairly well. I came home with only a handful of smaller items that didn’t sell. All of my suitcases sold, and about half of my painted books. I sold 7 big pieces of furniture, but I brought home 3 dressers and the french cane back chair. If anyone is interested, these 3 dressers remain available:

Chateau Marmont dresser, SOLD.

Petite Paris dresser, SOLD!

Mind the Gap dresser, sale pending.

In addition, although I had many shoppers who said they would check back about the radio cabinet on Saturday, no one has followed through so far. I would be happy to sell it now if anyone is interested.

Radio Cabinet, $168.

In the end the question is, “would I do it again?” and the answer is, probably not. It was fun to be a part of it once, but it was a ton of work. I did make a little more money than I make at my occasional sale, but that was ultimately eaten up by the overhead expenses of renting a truck, paying for half the booth rental, and gas to drive to Shakopee for 4 days. In addition, there were a lot of ‘rules’! No merchandise newer than 40 years old, no leaving early even if sales are so low that you are sitting there for nothing, you are supposed to wear official Junk Bonanza shirts, etc, etc. I have to follow enough rules at my day job, I didn’t need them added to my fun hobby job. And although it probably wasn’t really that much more work, it was concentrated into 4 days so it seemed like more. When I have my occasional sale I can spend weeks getting it all set up, and then we are only open for a short six hours. When it’s done, I can shut the doors to the Carriage House, walk inside and take a nap! Much better than having to pack up everything that didn’t sell, load it back into a truck, drive 45 minutes home, and then unload it all. Phew! Yep, I think I’m going to stick with the Carriage House sale! Hope to see you there in June!

chateau marmont, est. 1927

Published on April 11, 2014April 8, 2014 by Quandie11 Comments

Did you know that the Chateau Marmont hotel is located on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles and that it was built in 1927? It is a Hollywood landmark. Movies have been filmed there, famous stars have lived in its bungalows. I did not know any of this when I ordered my Chateau Marmont stencil a little over a week ago. I also didn’t know that I would be buying a 1927 dresser within just a few days! I just thought the stencil was pretty.

Unfortunately, only a small section of the 18″ x 12″ stencil fit on the 1927 dresser. Here is the full stencil:

I originally just assumed a place called Chateau Marmont was in France. I would still be laboring under that illusion if I hadn’t had the TV on over the weekend while finishing up my painted books. I have a confession to make. Sometimes I watch those horrible true crime shows. It’s one of my guilty pleasures. But I only watch them during daylight hours! I would be chicken to watch them after dark. So … I had the TV on, and a show came on about a serial killer that appeared on the Dating Game. Please tell me I’m not the only one here who remembers the Dating Game!

Anyway, yes … it’s true. He appeared on the show in 1978. And in fact, the bachelorette chose him! Can you imagine? Believe it or not, he was a registered sex offender at the time. Apparently the Dating Game people didn’t do background checks! In the end, the woman never did go on a date with him because she ultimately found him creepy. Yet another example of why we should trust our gut instincts!

But … at this point you are probably wondering … how did we go from Chateau Marmont to the Dating Game serial killer? Well … one of his earliest victims lived at Chateau Marmont. On the show they explained that she was walking to school from the Chateau Marmont where she lived with her parents.

And we come full circle and the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon strikes again! I’m sure I would have never even noticed the name of the residential hotel where this girl lived if I hadn’t just happened to buy a stencil with that name on it.

But enough about serial killers, chateaus that are really in California and strange coincidences. Didn’t the 1927 dresser turn out lovely?

You may remember from the ‘before’ pictures that the top of this dresser was badly damaged. I decided to just rip off the veneer entirely. As I suspected, about 80% of it came off quite easily in about 30 seconds, and the last 20% took me another 30 minutes to remove! I used a heat gun and a putty knife and just kept picking away at it.

Painting details: painted in Miss Mustard Seed milk paint in Shutter Grey with Grain Sack on the very top. The raised oval and rectangle also painted in Grain Sack. Finished with hemp oil.

The Shutter Grey is really more blue than grey. It is one of those tricky colors that looks different in different light. Sometimes it looks more grey, and other times more blue. Either way, I love the pale subtlety of this color. I wish I had done a better job with these photos, but I ran out of time. I had to snap them quickly after work as my light was fading. I wanted to get some shots of it before I threw it in the truck at the last minute for Junk Bonanza.

One last note, I must say the Shutter Grey was a pleasure to paint with. I was worried that it wouldn’t cover well, being so light, and that I’d have to do 3 coats. But it went on beautifully, covered quite well in one coat, but I put on a 2nd lighter coat for good measure. If you haven’t tried this color, I say give it a whirl!

my bags are packed.

Published on April 8, 2014 by Quandie6 Comments

My bags are packed for Junk Bonanza!

And so is my giant truck!

I rented a truck. This is a new experience for me. Originally I had thought I could just make several trips with the pick up. Luckily Lori told me that was nuts and I should just rent a truck. She was so right! It’s not that expensive, and the truck is enormous! This will be so much easier. I’ve never even rented a truck to move before! Of course, it’s been a while since I’ve moved, but the last time I fit all my stuff in a Honda Civic.

Then nnK (new neighbor Karen) hired one of her high school football players, Aaron, to help us load it all. It is super handy to have a neighbor with access to rented muscle (nnK is the athletic director at a nearby high school). All I had to do was buy dinner. Slick!

This is what the truck looks like with all my stuff in it. I have 10 pieces of furniture in there!

I could easily fit twice as much stuff in this thing. I had so much room that I threw it all in! Pieces on stand by? Nope, they are all going in one trip. Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that I’m not renting another truck to bring all this stuff back home again!

So … if you are going to Junk Bonanza and you want to know where to look for me, I am sharing the Round Barn Potting Co. booth in spots 206 & 207. We are in the Main Building towards the back, just across from St. Paul Snacks (snacks nearby = good thing).

If you are going early, a strategy I recommend is to head straight to the back and then work your way forward. This requires nerves of steel as you have to put your blinders on and head straight for the back. You must resist the urge to stop at each booth on the way. But, there are two benefits to this approach. You’ll avoid the crowds who have all stopped at the first booth they came to and you’ll find me right away!

If you stop by, be sure to say hello. I’d love to meet you!

don’t sweat the small stuff.

Published on April 8, 2014April 7, 2014 by Quandie4 Comments

At least that is my plan for Junk Bonanza.

I only have a couple of boxes of small stuff. I’m counting on my furniture sales to carry me.

But, I think the bit of small stuff I have is pretty fab. Like the vintage set of cocktail glasses above. There is a glass for Paris, Havana, Rome & Bombay. I was going to keep these, but I have to occasionally remind myself that I can’t keep it all!

I wish I had more ironstone to bring, but since I collect it myself and because I love using it as props for my photos, I only have a few pieces to part with.

And who doesn’t love some vintage silver and maybe a crystal door knob or two?

And just because you know I love me a little shabby vintage green stuff.

I also have another painted suitcase ready to go.

So I will definitely have some treasures to share. Hope you stop by!

junk bonanza.

Published on April 6, 2014April 5, 2014 by Quandie10 Comments

I’m really getting excited about Junk Bonanza which is next week, April 10 – 12 at Canterbury Park. I have been working my tail off getting pieces ready to bring to the booth I am sharing with Lori from the Round Barn.

Here is what I am planning to bring.

I’ll have some painted suitcases …

I’ll definitely have a supply of my painted books too.

And if many of these pieces sell on the first day and make room for more, I have a 2nd string of items waiting in the wings.

Plus one more dresser that I am currently working on!

here comes the sun.

Published on April 4, 2014April 1, 2014 by Quandie14 Comments

Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here.

Any Beatles fans out there?

In honor of spring, I decided to paint this dresser in a bright and sunny yellow last weekend. I’ve actually had this paint since last fall just waiting for the perfect piece. As soon as I saw this one on craigslist, I knew it would be lovely in yellow.

Feel free to skip this next bit if you are only here to see the pictures!

Painting details: painted in MMS Mustard Seed Yellow milk paint, details painted in Linen, finished with MMS clear wax.

New to me, I left the top alone. It seems to be more and more popular to leave the tops of pieces stained, so I thought I would give that a try. I cheated though … the top of this one was in good enough shape as is, I just spruced it up with a little MMS hemp oil. I’m still not brave enough to strip and stain. Maybe I will tackle that skill this summer.

The hardware on this dresser was quite lovely, and I had all of it, so it stayed.

As you can see, I got a lot of chippy-ness … especially on the Linen details.

It’s a perfectly lovely little breath of sunshine to welcome spring. Wish I had a fresh bunch of daffodils to stage my photo, but we are still a bit away from daffodils here in Minnesota. Just imagine them there in that ironstone pitcher.

1927.

Published on April 2, 2014April 1, 2014 by Quandie8 Comments

The year is 1927. Our president is Calvin Coolidge. Charles Lindbergh is about to fly solo across the Atlantic. Work begins on Mount Rushmore. Women are getting their hair bobbed and beginning to wear … gasp! … trousers!

And while all of that was happening, inspector no. 218 was signing off on this dresser.

How do I know this? Well, there is a sticker on the bottom of one of the drawers of course!

Isn’t that kind of cool? And isn’t this dresser a beauty? Imagine it coming fresh off the factory floor all shiny and new. I bet it was part of a set. Back then you bought an entire suite of bedroom furniture, not just one dresser. I’m sure there was a mirrored bureau or vanity to go along with this, don’t you think? And a fabulous headboard.

But, I just got this piece and it is no longer fresh off the factory floor! There are a few spots where the veneer is lifting, a couple gouges here and there …

and I really have no idea what is going on with the top! Was there originally another level glued on top of this one? Was it just badly damaged by something sitting on top of it?

It’s a mystery to me. I’m not sure what would cause this sort of damage. The veneer is totally warped and loose, so I’m guessing water was involved in some manner.

Basically all of these flaws add up to the perfect candidate for a paint job.

Now I just have to pick a color. My original thought was Miss Mustard Seed’s Eulalie’s Sky, a lovely aqua blue. But then I also happen to have some of her Shutter Grey on hand as well. Wouldn’t that be pretty? With the raised oval and rectangle painted in Grain Sack. Obviously those two spots are also crying out for a stencil, and since I just ordered a new batch from Maison de Stencils the other day, I’m going to have to wait patiently for them to arrive. Meanwhile, I will do what I can to repair this lovely dresser so it’s ready for its makeover.